Moment of Truth
by SR240
Summary: No matter how careful you are, you can't fool a mother.


"Asami?"

The sound of Senna's voice, normally soft and comforting, jarred Asami from her slumber. Her head jerked up, and she could've sworn that she'd jumped a few inches off her seat, her heart leaping up into her throat. She blinked blearily up at the waterbender, who was gazing down at her with a mix of concern and a bit of what appeared to be humor.

"Senna! Hi! Hi," she stammered, her voice hoarse with sleep. She felt heat creep up into her face as she became aware of a trail of drool trickling from the corner of her mouth. She hastily wiped it away, hoping Senna hadn't noticed.

If she had, the older woman had the grace not to mention it. "Hi yourself," she replied, bemused. "Sleep well?"

"How long as I here? What time is it?" Asami questioned groggily, linking the sleep from her eyes. She reached for her blueprints, trying to make order of the mess that had inadvertently served as her pillows for the past who-only-knew how many hours. The sun was shining through the window, leading her to believe it was much later than she'd hoped.

Senna confirmed the obvious. She craned her neck, eyes skimming the designs. "Well, breakfast is wrapping up, so it looks like you burned the candle at both ends."

"Sorry," Asami apologized, tucking away her protractor and tossing away a few crumpled up scraps of paper. "I didn't even feel myself doze off. Let me just get all this straightened up and I'll go and prepare Korra's breakfast. Is she awake?"

An odd expression crossed Senna's face. "I'm not sure," she answered. "But don't worry about it, Honey. I'm here, too. So is Tonraq. You don't have to do it all yourself." She gave a small smile, which Asami knew was meant to be comforting, but instead felt like a cold rock sinking in her stomach.

"I'm sorry," she said, hoping she didn't sound defensive. "I hope you don't feel like I'm overstepping. I didn't even stop to consider that you might –"

Senna gave a small chuckle, but the worry and fatigue in her face was evident. It was clear her anguish over Korra's condition had not abated since her arrival in Republic City a week ago after Zaheer's arrest.

"Oh, sweetheart, don't apologize. If I can be totally honest, you have no idea how grateful I've been for you. You have this…this way. Of calming her. She trusts you. It's actually very impressive. Tonraq and I have been doing so much healing work on her, and it just takes so much time and energy. Having the extra set of hands for the other stuff has been…it's so appreciated. You've earned a lifetime of hospitality in the Southern Water Tribe, please know that."

Asami felt herself blush, and looked down at the desk in an attempt to hide it. "I'm happy to do it, Senna. Honestly, at this point, it would feel weird not to. I've gotten so used to it."

It wasn't a lie in the slightest. The past week had been nonstop for the engineer, between bringing Korra all of her meals, preparing her clothes, helping her bathe (an activity that required every remaining ounce of Asami's power in order to appear neutral and unfazed) and keeping her company – from staying with her during the day so she could have someone to talk to, to sleeping on a cot next to her bed at night to soothe her when night terrors did hit – terrors so horrible it resulted in hyperventilating at best and vomiting at worst. She had taken the next few weeks off of work in order to tend to her friend – something both Senna and Tonraq had promised her wasn't necessary but she'd insisted – but was still more exhausted than she could ever remember being in her life.

Senna's words rang in her ears. _"You don't have to do it all yourself."_

 _Am I being too obvious?_

"What exactly are you working on, anyway?"

Asami felt her insides twist. There was something about Senna's tone, her gaze – something penetrating and astute that made her feel dangerously exposed.

 _There's no way she knows. No one knows._

"Oh! I, uh…it's a chair. A wheelchair."

Senna blinked. "For Korra?"

Asami rolled up the design plans a little too hastily.

"Yeah," she said, trying to make her voice as steady and natural as possible. "I think part of the reason she's so depressed is because she can't go anywhere. She's stuck in that bed all day and if she needs to go anywhere, someone has to carry her. And she hates that."

The fact that it was she – Asami – who was the one doing most of the carrying remained unspoken.

"I've noticed," Senna replied evenly. Her gaze was still piercing. It had always been evident to Asami where Korra got her beauty from – Senna was a lovely woman, and Korra clearly had her eyes. Normally that would've caused a warm feeling to tingle in her chest, but in this moment Asami suddenly felt very scrutinized. She stood up, hoping that would even the dynamic between them a bit.

"…right. And, um…I just thought if I could put together something for her, to help make her more mobile, that it might make her feel better." She walked over to the bench in the corner, tucking her plans back into her bag.

 _Keep talking._

"Since that sort of thing is – well, it's what I do, I figured I might as well." She purposely avoided Senna's eyes, buckling her satchel closed.

There was a very long silence. When Asami finally realized that she couldn't not look at Senna any longer without it just getting flat out weird, she lifted her gaze. Senna's face was surprisingly neutral, but even the densest of ox-mules couldn't have missed the tension in the room.

"That's very thoughtful, Asami," she finally answered, simply.

Asami forced a smile. "It's nothing," she insisted. "It's nothing she wouldn't do if the tables were turned."

Senna granted her a small smile in return, but there was no missing the change in her eyes. Like a window had opened, and new light had poured in, revealing something that had previously been in shadow. "I'm sure," she agreed.

Asami was overwhelmed with the sudden, mad urge to scream at Senna to stop looking at her. Or to run out of the room. Her heart started thumping in her chest, her blood running cold. She swallowed roughly, hoping that she could communicate to Senna through sheer force of will not to poke or prod any further.

Senna smiled again, in an obvious effort to ease her. "Well," she offered brightly, "why don't you come on down and have some tsampa porridge? I'm sure we can still snag you a bowl before we put the rest away. And then no doubt Korra will be asking for you." Her tone remained casual, but her expression wasn't fooling anyone. It had a way of trying to pull words from Asami's lips that she much preferred to keep locked up tight, and she couldn't bear to look at it any longer.

"That sounds great," she replied, much too loudly. She averted her eyes, hurriedly slinging her bag over her shoulder. "I'll just get changed and head down there." She breezed past Senna, wanting to put as much distance between herself and the older woman as she could.

 _Before I say something I shouldn't._

"Asami – "

"Sorry Senna, I have to run!" she cried, almost manic. "But thanks for waking me up. I'll see you at lunch!"

She headed out the door and up the stairs towards the kitchen. Senna may have called after her, but she wouldn't have known either way. The blood was pounding so hard in her ears she couldn't hear anything else.

 _Dammit._

 _Dammit!_

She rounded a corner and leaned against the wall, closing her eyes, willing herself to calm down. She was just starting to concoct a plausible excuse to be able to avoid Senna for the rest of the day – _forever, actually, if I can swing it_ – when another soft voice jarred her from her thoughts.

"Miss Sato?"

She opened her eyes to see one of the other air acolytes staring at her, his serene face obviously looking apprehensive, as if he weren't sure if he should be interrupting her.

"I'm sorry to bother you, Miss, but Avatar Korra is asking for you."

The very sound of her name came dangerously close to automatically making the corners of Asami's mouth turn upward. She bit the inside of her cheek in an attempt to not appear so transparent.

 _It might be too late for that._

"Miss Sato?"

"I'll be right there."


End file.
